STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Winning a tournament championship game to complete a three-peat is impressive on its own, but the St. Joseph by-the-Sea Vikings took it a step further on Saturday, delivering a dominant 82–47 rout of No. 1-seeded Moore Catholic to keep the Borough President’s Cup in Huguenot once again.
“It feels great because this is such a different team than the last two years. Our kids were counted out a bit in the offseason and even at times this year, and we’ve had our ups and downs while adjusting a lot of young players. That’s what makes it so sweet to see them perform the way they did tonight,” head coach Josh Suslak said after the contest.
“I’m so proud of them, especially beating a great team like Moore. They’ve been running through their league, Coach Gene does a great job, and anytime you beat a team with a great coach and good players, it makes it even sweeter. Nothing that comes easy should feel good— and this wasn’t easy,” he continued.
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Borough President’s Cup Championship Game
The Vikings certainly worked hard to get here but made it look easy against the Mavericks. After Moore opened the game with a quick 7–0 run, the Vikings clearly had a fire lit under them, building a 40-30 halftime lead before turning up the heat over the final two quarters.
Leading the charge for the Vikings was Isabella Castania with a team-high 19 points, while Maria O’Connell and Olivia DiMonda added 14 points apiece, with DiMonda earning the tournament’s MVP honors.
“She’s improved so much over the past three years as a varsity player, making leaps and bounds each season. Obviously it’s her speed, but she’s also grown as a shooter, getting to the basket, drawing fouls, improving at the free-throw line, and leading on the defensive end. She plays a complete game for 32 minutes, which isn’t easy, and I’m very proud of her — though at this point in her career, I’m not surprised,” Suslak said of his star senior.
DiMonda herself assessed her performance, saying, “I think the biggest thing I contributed to this game was just bringing the momentum for my team and helping push the ball at all times; I’m very thankful to be the MVP of this tournament.”
In addition to the Vikings’ scorching offense, their defense was just as impressive, as Moore struggled to break Sea’s intense half-court press, resulting in multiple turnovers and 10-second violations.
“That’s who we are. We like to let our defense create offense as much as we can. It doesn’t always work—sometimes teams make us look silly on the press, and there were times Moore beat it pretty easily— but it also gave us some extra possessions, which helped us open up a lead,” Suslak said of his team’s defensive pressure throughout the game.
Lastly, when asked about Sea’s recent stretch over the last few years— which has included three straight BP Cups and the production of NCAA-level talents such as Danielle Williamsen and Angelina Hodgens— Suslak said that “these last few years have been right up there with the best.”
“We’ve always had teams that play a similar style; it’s just a matter of the talent coming through at the right time and them all buying in. The groups over the past few years have really bought into everything we preach in our program, and it comes through on the court most of the time,” he concluded.
Tourney namesake BP Vito Fossella also offered remarks, saying that “the tournament has gotten better every year. It seems like the kids are having a great time, it’s competitive, and they’re learning about sportsmanship and making new friends. For years they didn’t have this opportunity, so I just want to publicly thank the committee again,” he said.
The St. Joseph by-the-Sea girls’ varsity basketball team poses with their championship trophy after their Borough President’s Cup win on Jan. 31, 2026.Michael O’Brien
Currently sitting in sixth place with an 3-3 league record in the CHSAA AAA, the league’s highest level of competition, the Vikings should be set to carry the momentum from their dominant tournament run into the rest of the season.
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NOTES: At the conclusion of the game, the tournament committee also announced the All-Tournament team in addition to DiMonda’s MVP win, which included Sea’s Giovanna Grima, Moore’s Allie and Mackenzie Felci, Tottenville’s Grace Anderson, Susan Wagner’s Casey McKinney, Curtis’ Kathryn Karounos, Hill’s Brielle Longo, and Staten Island Academy’s Alyssa Lopez.